Dispensing and spreading support for hairpins and the like



June 18, 1946 c c LA F oRE 2,402,236

DISPENSING AND SPREADING SUPPORT FOR HAIRPINS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 10, 1945 alwowfmi,

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Patented June 18, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' DISPENSING AND SPREADING SUPPORT FOR HAIRPINS AND THE LIKE v Charles T. Calaflore, Baltimore, Md.

Application January 10, 1945, Serial No. 572,159

1 6 Claims.

This invention relates to adispensing and spreading support/for hairpins and the like.

The present embodiment of the invention is designed for dispensing and spreading the form of hairpins that are commercially known as bobby pins which are in the nature of spring-clamps that individually and respectively engage with locks of hair and retain such engagement by spring-gendered friction. Such hairpins are properly formed to beslid into engagement with hairlock's of limited thickness; but if and when desirable that locks of greater thickness be engaged by the respective bobby-pins, it is necessary (in absence of a supported opener) to use both hands of the user for holding and opening or spreading, and this is inconvenient and ineiiicient, for one hand is necessarily occupied in holding the hairlock to be clamped bythe bobby-pin.

Therefore, a primary object of the invention is to provide a finger-supported device, or finger- Fig. 4 is an under-side view of the devices shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the approximate positions of the hands of a user of my invention which has one bobby-pin thereon; another bobbypin being gripped between a finger and thumb of the free hand that has removed the spread bobbypin from the supporting and spreading arm and is keeping it spread preparatory to engaging it with a hair-lock (not shown), the arcuate broken 7 line indicating the position of a scalp or crown of a person's head with respect to the hands that carried support which is'also a spreader to increase the distance between prongs of the hairclamping hairpins; which is easily adjustable to fit around any digit of any ordinary or average hand; and which is properly designed and constructed to support and spread a plurality of bobby-pins in substantially parallel spaced relation to one another, so the user can manipulate them individually with the hand that is free from;

the supporting and spreading device, so as to cooperate with the latter for spreading and removing each bob'by-pin while it is quite near the hand that holds the hair-lock and supports the device that supports the remaining bobby-pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and comparatively inexpensive device that effects the foregoing functions and advantages, and which is useful by persons who make their own coiflures and by operators in beauty shops and in barber shops. 7

Other objectsand important features are manipulate the bobby-pins and support the hairpin dispenser and spreader.

Fig. 6 is a sid elevation showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, in which pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawing in which: 1

Fig. 1 is a side-elevation of one of the dispensing and spreading supports according to this embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, of the same device, but having its finger-engaging loop or annulus expanded to fit around a larger digit than could be passed thru the retracted loop of similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several views, the invention is described in detail as follows:

A single strip of pliable metal or other relatively rigid material has one end-portion formed in a loop or substantial annulus 1 which is ex-' pansible and retractible for adjustment to fit around a finger or thumb of any ordinary adults hand. The other end-portion or arm 8 of this strip is preferably arcuate and formed with alternating thick and thin portions 9 and III that combine to form notches or grooves i l across the lower side of the supporting arm 8, these grooves each being only slightly wider than the respective hairpins whose lower prongs are to be seated therein, and these grooves being considerably spaced from one another, that is, sufiiciently spaced from one another to permit a person to Fig. 1, this view also showing six bobby-pins in their *pre-dispensing positions, and a seventh bobby-pin in a dispensing position, viz., spread and ready to be removed by either a longitudinal l6 grasp any individual thus-supported hairpin or bobby-pin and turn it to an upright position (as in Figs. 2 and 3) without interference by the ones that remain on the supporting arm 8. When a bobby-pin is thus turned into an upright position, its prongs are spread apart to a greater or less extent, by pushing it downward or pulling, it upward before tightening the grasp of the finger and thumb that holds it and retains the prongs in the thus-separated or divergent relation, as shown in Fig. 5, in readiness to be engaged with a relatively thick hair-lock.

vention is not limited to such curvature nor to' other precise details of construction, for the invention is susceptible of numerous changes within the scope of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

As an instance of the above-mentioned changes, Fig. 6 is shown in inverted-U shaped or horseshoe-shape. It is formed of a thin and relatively wide strip of metal which is relatively rigid or stiff while being somewhat springy and somewhat ductile or pliant. The middle portion Ba of the strip is scalloped to form notches I la for receiving prongs of the respective hairpins which will be held in the notches by either or both springpressure of the hair-pins. The end-portions of this form (Fig. 6) are arcuate or concave at their sides la that face one another and constitute, in combination, a digit-engaging clamp or means to be spring-pressed against opposite sides of a thumb or finger of the user; the spring-pressure being exerted by the loop 8a, and this loop can a be manipulated to increase or decrease the clamping pressure at la, or to adjust the clamp to conform to digits of different sizes.

I claim the following as my invention:

1. In a dispenser and spreader for hairpins and the like, a relatively rigid strip that is considerably wider than its major thickness and which has a series of grooves across one of its wider sides in considerably spaced relation to one another, substantially as described, each of these grooves being wide enough to contain a prong of a hairpin while the latter is straddling and spring-clamping said strip, whereby a series of hairpins in such straddling and spring-clamping relation are considerably spaced from one another for a purpose specified.

2. In the structure defined by claim 1, each groove being only slightly wider than the prong to be contained therein so the latter is secured at a substantially definite distance from adjacent prongs contained in said series of grooves.

3. In the structure defined by claim 1, one end-portion of said strip being properly formed to provide means to engage with and be supported by a digit of a hand of a person whose other hand is free to clamp and manipulate any hairpin while in and out of said straddling engagement.

4. In the structure defined by claim 1, one endportion of said strip being substantially annular and of a proper size to fit around adigit of a users hand and support the laterally grooved arm adjacent to said hand.

5. In the structure defined by claim 1, one end portion of said strip being substantially annular and pliant so it can be expanded and contracted for adjusting it to conform to digits of difierent sizes, and so it can be conveniently and efficiently used by any normal adult person in the manner shown.

6. In the structure defined by claim 1, said strip including a loop in which said grooves are.

formed, the end-portions of the strip having concave sides facing toward one another in a proper relation to be fitted and spring-pressed against opposite sides of a digit of a hand of the user, said loop being of somewhat springy material so it serves as means to spring-press said concave sides towards one another.

CHARLES T. CALAFIORE. 

